Prien am Chiemsee

26 May 2000

Known as the "Bavarian Sea,"
Chiemsee, set in a serene landscape, is one of the most beatiful lakes in the
Bavarian Alps. In the south, the mountains reach almost to the water. Resorts
line the shores of the large lake, but the main attraction is its two islands,
Frauenchiemsee and Herrenchiemsee.

excerpt from
Frommer's Germany
The Complete Guide to the Cities and
Countryside

Herrenchiemsee (or Herreninsel) is
home to the outstanding attraction, the fantastic Neues Schloss, begun by
Ludwig II in 1878. Never completed because of the king's death in 1886, the
castle was to have been a replica of the grand palace of Versailles that Ludwig
so admired. When work was halted in 1886, only the center of the enormous
palace had been completed. Surrounded by woodlands of beech and fir, the palace
and its formal gardens remain one of the grandest and most fascinating of
Ludwig's adventures, despite their unfinished state.

excerpt
fromFrommer's
Germany The Complete Guide to the Cities and
Countryside

Shelly
betweenislands

Frauenchiemsee (or Fraueninsel) is
the smaller of the lake's two major islands. On its sandy shore stands a
fishing village that holds an elaborate festival at Corpus Christi (usually in
late May) The fishing boats are covered with flowers and streamers, the
fishers are outfitted in Bavarian garb, and the young women of the village
dress as brides. As the boats circle the island, they stop at each corner
for the singing of the Gospels. The island is also the home of a
Benedictine nunnery, Frauenchiemsee Abbey, founded in 782, which makes it the
oldest in Germany. The convent is known for a liqueur called Kloster
Likör. Sold by nums in black cowls with white-winged head garb,
it's supposed to be an "agreeable stomach elixir."

excerpt
fromFrommer's
Germany The Complete Guide to the Cities and
Countryside